December 7, 2004
Automakers Elect to Sue California Rather than Improve Emissions
Statement from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Today, in suing to block California's landmark global warming tailpipe rules, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers follows its decades-old tradition of sending lawyers, not engineers, to address the auto industry's environmental shortcomings. Sue, not solve, has become standard operating procedure for the industry. "Picking a fight with the Schwarzenegger administration and tens of millions of car consumers across the nation reveals the fallacy of the industry's multimillion-dollar, carefully cultivated green image," said Jason Mark, director of the UCS Clean Vehicles Program.
Coincidentally, the Union of Concerned Scientists today released its biannual environmental ranking of automakers, proving yet again that Detroit continues to produce the dirtiest cars in the world. Honda, which chose not to sue California today, is the world's
greenest automaker, according to the UCS report.
"The Alliance may think it is environmentally friendly because it has become a master at recycling old arguments," continued Mark. "Their lawsuit makes many of the same arguments the industry has used in decades past to delay, obstruct, and prevent safety and other environmental improvements."
Continuing the "sue, not solve" tradition is not only bad for the environment, but also bad for consumers and shareholders. In the past three months, nearly 50,000 consumers—representing nearly a billion-dollar market—have written automakers urging them not to sue. The lawsuit confirms the worst fears of shareholders who are already concerned that automakers are not prepared to face a global marketplace where addressing climate change is a core competency. Controller Steve Westly, board member of California's two large retirement funds, has urged the governing boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS to question the auto industry's strategy. Together, these two funds hold $1.5 billion in automaker shares.
UCS calls on the car companies to send their engineers, not their lawyers, to deliver the readily available, cost-effective solutions that exist to reduce global warming emissions, save consumers money, and increase the global competitiveness of U.S. automakers. |
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MEGHAN CROSBY
Assistant Press Secretary
202-331-6943
mcrosby@ucsusa.org
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AARON HUERTAS
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202-331-5458
ahuertas@ucsusa.org
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